Cost of having a baby in Switzerland

[racletteforall]

Hi all,

After one year in this wonderful country, we are thinking of starting a family, however, in terms of costs and financial benefits we are a bit lost.

We agreed that my partner would stop working and take care of the children(s), therefore no kita or nanny expenses are expected.

For the rest of the expenses, could you please help us see how much can it cost monthly? I've divided them into 4 big groups so it might be easier:

• Food and nutrition (formula, cereals, complementary foods)
• Housing and equipment (crib, stroller, furniture, initial setup items)
• Childcare/Daycare
• Hygiene, health and entertainment (insurance, diapers, clothes, medicines, toys, activities)

We also would like to know if there will be any additional incomes or tax benefits for having children considering we live in Zug. Will the authorities transfer us money directly or they will just reduce the taxes on our incomes?

Additionally, what emergency fund would you consider, taking into account in Switzerland we have the unemployment insurance by default?

If you think that I might be missing something out, please feel free to point it out.

Thank you in advance!

Edit: A few corrections and one more question

 

[Baptiste Wicht]

Hi

Honestly, if you don't have daycare, the costs are really manageable. A big bulk will be the extra health insurance.

* Food was really low for us because of breastfeeding.
* Equipment can be expensive if you get everything new. You need a bed, you need a stroller, you need a car chair and a place to change the baby. We took multiple ones second hand from people we knew.
* Toys when they are small are very cheap (and you will likely receive many if you have family in Switzerland). It can be expensive when they grow up.

We did not increase our emergency with our kid. It's mostly all covered by health insurance.

One of the people I interviewed had detailed expenses for the first year of the baby:

How To Raise A Baby Frugally In Switzerland With Mama Bear Finance - The Poor Swiss

Kids don't have to be expensive. Discover practical tips to raise a baby frugally in Switzerland without sacrificing safety or happiness.

thepoorswiss.com

 

[Baptiste Wicht]

We also would like to know if there will be any additional incomes or tax benefits for having children considering we live in Zug. Will the authorities transfer us money directly or they will just reduce the taxes on our incomes?

You can deduct a child indeed. But if you don't deduct daycare, the deductions are not huge. And they will not give you money, it will reduce your taxable income.